New Thoughts on Vendor Networking

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’d like to dedicate this blog post to one of the things that I’m most thankful for - my personal network of vendor contacts. In a very short period of time, this community has enabled me to make personal contacts with hundreds (actually thousands) of wedding vendors. The advice, inspiration and support that I have received from this network has been phenomenal and something that I never expected. When I started this community, I had no idea that many of us would actually become friends. That unexpected aspect of my profession has made BridalTweet so fulfilling for me. So, I encourage all of you to leverage our Vendor Directory. Make friends, engage in conversations, and network! I also want to encourage you to think about networking in a new way…
Have you considered creating a smaller, close-knit network?

If you haven’t already, team up with just a few (three to five) wedding vendors on a regular basis. This is a great way for you to round out your professional skills. Leverage these “team members” to give and receive ongoing support, advice, and motivation. Here are some tips to help you along the way:

1. Meet or have a conference call once a month. Put this event on your calendar each month to ensure that your meetings continue over time.

2. Have a monthly agenda that includes:
• 1-2 things that each team member accomplished in the last 30 days
• 1-2 goals that each team member needs to achieve in the next three months
• 1-2 challenges that each team member faces in their daily work
• A brainstorm about how to provide solutions for one another.

3. There are endless ways to leverage your close-knit network. Some ideas include cross-promoting your team members in your marketing materials or exchanging links on your websites.

On that note, I’m also thankful for my own close-knit network. Courtney Kern of Events Beyond and Astrid Mueller of Champagne Promises are two people that I have met on BridalTweet that I consider to be my “team members.” Here are some of their insights on networking…

Courtney Kern’s thoughts on networking, “One really important thing I learned along the way is even if you’re at the top of your game, there is always room to grow and take your business to the next level. The key with any small business is to absorb everything like a sponge. This can be a challenge within the wedding industry when there is so much to learn. However, with help and knowledge from your vendor friends, you can share the wealth and build community along the way. The most important thing about networking, learning and growing within the industry is that you are building a community of experienced professionals, which in turn keeps the industry strong.”

“I am also a huge advocate of being friends with your competition,” shared Kern. “I am not saying that you should share your deepest business secrets, business model, price structure, etc. But there is enough business to go around and every vendor has something to offer their clients. I was just with a baker friend of mine last week who I interviewed. She told me that Ron Ben-Israel and Mark Joseph trained her in many areas, yet they are supposed to be her competition. Nonetheless, they teach others to uphold the standards within the industry and help educate up-and-coming bakers.”

Astrid Mueller’s thoughts on networking, “There is not one way [to benefit from networking]; there are a hundred ways! To name a few that I’ve experienced: I love sharing insights about the industry with other vendors. I’ve taken part in events where every vendor donates a service and everyone wins. I’ve shared resources that yielded a win-win for both. For example, while I specialize in personalized illustrations, someone else (like Christine Dyer) may be a fantastic resource for marketing strategies and branding. A recommendation from an unknown source that I recently came across goes a step further: Always think win-win. Come up with 20 ways you could help a vendor and 20 ways how they could help you.” Can you imagine the results we could get if we did that in all business dealings with compatible and like-minded vendors? Mind boggling!”

Do you have anything to add about vendor networking? Please comment below and share your best practices.

About This Blog: Christine Dyer has an MBA in marketing and shares over ten years of marketing expertise with the wedding community. In this weekly blog called Supercharge Your Wedding Business, you'll find advice on an array of wedding business topics such as how to market to brides, social networking, wedding PR, wedding sales, vendor networking, branding, pricing and much more. .Please pass this news along to your own professional wedding network. To receive this advice in your email inbox each week, Sign Up for a Free BridalTweet Membership.